Methods for cultivating strong orchid seedlings: once new shoots grow, the old shoots should be cut off

There are many varieties of orchids, but no matter which variety it is, as long as we take good care of it, its ornamental value is extremely high. Whether it is potted and placed on a balcony or in a bedroom, a living room or an office, it can often show its unique character and aesthetic taste.

But in the process of growing orchids, we are also very likely to run into various growing problems, and as the growing time gets longer, the problems we encounter gradually become fewer. If the orchid grows well, it will keep sending up new buds and new shoots. So many gardening friends worry that the new shoots do not have enough vegetative growth, so they choose to cut off the old shoots. So, after an orchid grows new shoots, do the old shoots need to be cut off?

Actually, the editor does not recommend cutting off the old shoots, because first of all the pseudobulbs of the old shoots can absorb nutrients and return them to the whole orchid plant, so the growth of the new shoots will not weaken the vigor of the old shoots. If we insist on cutting off the old shoots, it will instead be unfavorable to the growth of the new shoots. As long as the leaves of the old shoots still keep growing healthily, they can absorb light and thereby produce the nutrients the whole plant needs.

The photosynthesis of new shoots is usually relatively weak, and the original ones simply cannot compare with the old shoots. So, when the old shoots keep growing healthily, the new shoots basically cannot fully support the growth needs of the whole pot of orchid plants, and it is hard to make the orchid bloom with abundant and beautiful flowers. Therefore, in this case we must not cut off the old shoots too early. Of course, it does not mean that the old shoots should always be cut off; cutting off old orchid shoots must also be decided according to the specific situation.

Generally, when the new shoots have already grown into robust shoots, the old shoots will gradually wither and die as their metabolism weakens, and only then do we recommend cutting off the withered old shoots, so as to avoid their needlessly consuming nutrients, and also to avoid their affecting the overall ornamental effect of the potted plant, and it can also promote the growth of the new shoots.